World History Unit 1

Unit 1: Foundations and Institutions Challenged, 1500–1715

Time: 30 hours

Unit Description

This unit sets the foundations for the inquiries that are germane to the study of the West and the World over a period of almost five hundred years. Students examine several historical underpinnings of the modern world. The 16th
and 17th Centuries were times of social challenge including a huge increase in technological developments, which in turn connected with and diffused among world cultures, still affect the world to the present day.

Knowledge and values clashed and demanded redress in social, economic, intellectual, religious, and political ways.

· Who are some of the key individuals who created social change?

· How did the Western and the non-Western world interact?

· How did art challenge prevailing social and political values?

This unit begins with the transitions in society fashioned by the Renaissance, the Reformation, and Counter-Reformation. Students investigate the waning of the Medieval world and the rise of nation-states, the Age of Exploration and the consequences of opening trade routes from Europe to India, Africa, and the Americas, and the legacy of Columbus.

Students examine the role of religion as a force in the spiritual and intellectual development. Students study the effects of the scientific revolutions in Europe, the religious wars, and individuals such as Descartes, Copernicus, and especially Galileo.

Lastly, students study the French hegemony under Louis XIV as an example of the political and military development in Europe.